A Choice
by leftmywingshome
Summary: From my 'Home Isn't Always A Place' universe. He asked for a baby but he'll take it all back if means he doesn't have to choose.


**A/N Remember what he wanted? This takes place in my 'Home Isn't Always a Place' universe.**

The cabin's quiet when Daryl comes in the backdoor. Kicking off his boots he listens for her like he always does, waits to hear her say his name like she always does. But there's only silence and it's unsettling. He's overprotective, he's well aware of that fact. And he's become even more so since they found out she's pregnant.

She kept her word and right before the two-year mark she stopped taking her birth control pills and even before she got an all clear from the doctor she was pregnant. He'd been amazed at how quickly it happened but Beth had smiled a knowing smile, wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear,

"You wished for a baby Daryl..." It was soft and sweet and she'd cried after that, in his lap for twenty minutes while he sat there helpless holding her and begging her to tell him what to do.

"You know how I get kind of emotional during my period?" she asked sniffing. He'd nodded and refrained from saying that 'kind of' was a bit of an understatement. He didn't want to make her cry any more than she already was. "This is like that only worse." Worse? He vaguely remembered Glenn mentioning Maggie and her mood swings during her pregnancy. But Maggie had mood swings regardless.

His girl, his sweet beautiful girl wasn't like her big sister and yes sometimes she was kind of a mess during her time of the month, but it was over quick and he'd forget all about it.

" 'S gonna last all nine months?" he'd tried to keep his voice from shaking but she heard something his tone and was off and crying again. "Hey, Beth, com'on… We got chocolate. Can you eat chocolate when yer pregnant?"

"Yes but I don't want to get fat, Daryl!"

Luckily for him, her moods tended to lean towards overly sensitive to everything in the entire world except him. He's her chocolate, that's what she always said and come hell or high water he was there for her whenever she needed him.

Her belly grew and she developed a few curves that her slight body didn't normally have but she never looked fat. In his eyes she was perfect. And so was the little bump that grew to the size a basketball and kept her up most nights doing gymnastics in her tummy and bouncing on her bladder.

He'd watched in wonder as her pregnancy progressed exactly how it was supposed to without any complications. The first time they'd heard the heartbeat he'd realized exactly what drove Beth to lay her ear against his chest all the time. But he didn't understand it… How was it possible that the sound of one little heartbeat could manage to overwhelm and completely captivate him?

He'd gone online and ordered a device that he could use at home to listen to that tiny symphony any time he wanted. And he listened almost every night. The best part about it was that it could pick up Beth's heartbeat too and so he listened to them both never tiring of hearing the echo of life growing in Beth's belly.

Now that they're getting close to her due date he's been coming home early because that fear of having a premature baby like Glenn and Maggie's twins has been in the back of his mind. But they're down to two weeks to go and although even that makes him nervous it's close enough that he can deal if has too.

He heads for the bedroom and finds her napping, curled up on her side with her arms wrapped protectively around her tummy. Her brow is furrowed in her sleep and he imagines she's making lists of all she needs to do in the next two weeks. Lowering himself down onto the bed he scoots over so he can brush the hair from her face. She moans a little at his touch and he notices she's warm and flushed.

When she opens her eyes they're dull, none of the sparkle they usually hold.

"Daryl?"

"I'm here," he says.

"I don't feel so good."

"What's wrong? Ya, shoulda called me…"

"I thought I just needed to rest, but it's worse." She reaches for him and her hands are cold and clammy.

"What is it?" Fear wells up inside of him and he tries his best to keep it in check because she needs him to be here.

"My chest hurts and I'm kinda dizzy, a little lightheaded… I feel nauseous too." He runs a hand over her face letting his thumb brush her lips.

" 'M gonna get ya some water ok? Didja eat?" Shaking her head she swallows hard and her eyes widen.

"I'm gonna be sick Daryl... I'm-" She's frantically pushing herself up and helps her but they only make to the edge of the bed before dry heaves have her leaning over. Nothing comes up though and he can tell just by the way he has to hold her that she's more than a little lightheaded. "Something's wrong," she whispers, "something is wrong with the baby."

It isn't the baby, not yet anyway.

It's Beth, his girl, his whole world, she's in distress is what the paramedic is saying, that's all just distress. No reason why or what's causing it and Daryl is beyond frustrated. He's squeezed in the back of the ambulance on a small padded bench next to the gurney where Beth is lying with an oxygen mask over her face. Her blue eyes are huge and the dullness he saw there earlier is gone. Now it's just fear that makes them bright and he doesn't know which is worse. He squeezes her hand, rubs the knuckles and hopes she can't feel how he's shaking.

"I'm sorry I can't give you a diagnosis Mr. Dixon, your wife's vitals-"

"Beth, she's- her names Beth."

"Beth's vitals aren't stable, her oxygen and BP levels are low. We're going to monitor her and start an IV. We're doing everything we can right here, right now. I know you're frightened, you both are. We'll be at the hospital in just a few minutes." Daryl nods and looks back down at Beth. He tries to give her a reassuring smile but the muscles in his cheeks are refusing to cooperate.

"The baby?" Beth breathes.

"The baby's vitals are just fine Beth, the heartbeat is strong. Try and relax and let the oxygen do its job." She slides the hand Daryl isn't holding to her tummy and rests it there and he does the same, reaches over and rests his hand on hers.

The ambulance takes them into Peachtree to their hospital. Beth's obstetrician, Dr. Cloyd is waiting outside the doors as she's unloaded.

"Hi Beth, I'm here. We're going to take care of you," she says to Beth as two of the paramedics wheel her into the hospital E.R. A third paramedic starts rattling off vitals and symptoms and signs that are foreign and terrifying in Daryl's ears. The doctor listens making a few notes on a clipboard she's holding and then joins him and as they walk she asks him to tell her what he saw. And as he does he feels himself calming down. Doing this- talking to the doctor gives him something to focus on. They don't slow down and Daryl keeps an eye on Beth the entire time. But he tells the doctor what she needs to know.

They're taken directly to labor and delivery where nurses and a couple of other doctors seem to be waiting and they get right to work when Beth is wheeled in. Daryl does his best to stay out of their way only wanting to hold Beth's hand, reassure her he's there because that's all he can do.

Unfortunately, he won't even be able to do that.

"Daryl I know you aren't going to like this but we need you to go out in the waiting room-" Dr. Cloyd begins.

"I ain't leavin' her!" He hears Beth whimper and he's prepared to fight if he has to which is ridiculous and he knows it.

But.

How in the hell can he walk away now? He promised to protect her. Forever.

"Sir you're going to have to-" One of the other doctors, an older gentleman decides to get tough and Daryl feels his defenses kicking in. But Dr. Cloyd steps between them.

"I've got this doctor." Laying a hand on Daryl's arm she smiles gently. "Daryl we have to run a few tests on Beth. I'll come out or send a nurse to update you as soon as we get some results. We need to do this for Beth okay?" It would be condescending if it was coming from anyone else, but he likes this woman. She's been amazing the entire pregnancy and treated him and Beth like they're her most important patients. She probably does that with everyone she sees and Daryl appreciates that.

"Yeah alright.. I- okay." Dr. Cloyd smiles at him and moves away and he leans down next to Beth.

She, however, is not smiling.

"Daryl…" She's so small in that damn bed with its metal sides pulled up like a cage around her.

"They gotta run some tests… I'm gonna be right out in the waiting room ok? Doctor says she'll keep me updated." Her eyes fill with tears but she's nodding.

"Com'on don't cry... I can't be in the way is all. I ain't going far." Brushing her hair back he presses his lips to her forehead.

"I'm scared," she whispers and it tears at his heart.

"Me too but we're here where they can take care of ya." What else can he say? Don't be scared? Everything will be fine? They don't know that. They don't know anything and that, the not knowing is the scariest part right now. "I gotta go see who's out there. Let 'em know what's going on."

"Okay," she smiles doing her best to look brave. His girl. "But if I need you-"

"I'll bust down these fuckin' doors if I gotta!" Resting a hand on her cheek he pays no attention to the room around him and kisses her. "I love you, Beth."

"I love you too." Her hand is warm against his face and at least that is something. He backs towards the door eyes locked on her before he turns and forces himself to walk out.

**o o o**

He follows the signs down the hall to the left and out into the waiting room for the Maternity wing. He expected Hershel and Maggie. He'd texted her in the ambulance. What he hadn't expected was his brother. Carol came to the house and waited with them for the ambulance but Merle had still been on the job site. Daryl told Carol he'd call or someone would and let them know what was going on.

But Merle's here leaning against the wall next to where Hershel is sitting and when Daryl makes eye contact with his big brother he realizes that he needed him, he needs his family too.

They crowd around him. A little circle and it isn't suffocating like it might have been at in the past. It makes him feel safe and strong and he finds the answers to their questions come easy. He can do this part. He can keep it together out here and he knows she's keeping it together in there.

"They're runnin' some tests. Ain't sure yet whas' going on." Daryl says when Hershel asks what happened.

"Was she sick, hurting…" Of course, Maggie wants details but then again she's been here, knows what it means to be pregnant.

"I came home and she wasn't feeling good. Felt like she had a fever, said her chest hurt and she was dizzy. She puked but nothing came up. Carol came over and I called 911."

"Okay. Could be lots of things, no use worrying yet." Daryl nods and gets the feeling Maggie's saying it not only for him but for herself as well. "I'm gonna call Glenn, let him know."

"Well, all we can do is wait and see what the test results are. Did they tell you what tests they were doing?" Daryl shakes his head. Would it have mattered if they had? He doesn't think he would have remembered anyway. All he was focused on was Beth.

"Paramedic said her oxygen and BP levels were low. They started an IV." Hershel is nodding and he looks at Daryl.

"That's standard procedure in case she needed meds right away. She's in good hands, Daryl." Hershel moves back to where he was sitting when Daryl came in and he notices the older man is moving slow, no crutches but he's taking his time.

"Carol called, tol' me an I- I hope 's alright, just felt like I should come down here-"

" 'S alright." It's very much alright. His brother is here.

There's nothing else to say. They all find a seat in the squeaky uncomfortable chairs that must be a requirement of waiting rooms everywhere. They aren't alone in the room. There's an older couple sitting side by side and they look like they could be waiting for something too. Every time the doors to the unit open they both look up and then away wistfully when they don't see what they're hoping to see.

Glenn comes from the other direction, another hallway in the maze of hallways that always seem to make up hospitals.

"Hey guys," his smile is easy but the concern is there in his eyes because he's Glenn and he's a lot like Beth, always looking out for everyone. "How's it going? Any news?" He sits down beside Maggie and she takes his hand and Daryl sees how there's comfort in that. He knows. Beth's hand in his can make all the difference.

But not right now. He can't reach out for her and for a second that makes it hard to breathe. Maggie answers her husband's questions, brings him up to date and Glenn glances over at Daryl a couple of times, smiles and nods and it's genuine coming from him too. He's been here.

After an hour of waiting, Merle and Glenn decide to go down to the cafeteria and get sodas and coffee and anything else anyone might want. Daryl just wants someone, anyone to come out and tell him something. If it doesn't happen with the next half hour he decides, he's gonna go get some answers.

He stands and stretches, paces along a wall of windows. It's got to be early evening although he's not sure of the exact time because summer days seem to drag on forever. He hears his brother's barking laugh somewhere down the hall and then he and Glenn come around the corner. Rick's walking between them and he must be on duty because he's got his khaki uniform on.

"Saw these guys downstairs," Rick says coming up to Daryl. "I heard the call on the scanner earlier. I would've come then but I was in the middle of breaking up a domestic dispute…" Rick shakes his head.

"Everything turn out alright?" Daryl asks. Rick has bad luck on these calls. Daryl's heard all the stories.

"Don't know about that but at least no one beaned me in the head with a wooden spoon!" He smiles and reaches out a hand and rests it on Daryl's shoulder. "No word yet?" Daryl shakes is head.

"Jus' waitin'. 'S fuckin' hard man." He can do this. He can open up a little with Rick. The others are preoccupied looking through the arm full of snacks Glenn brought back.

"Hell yeah, it is. You know you can go back there and ask right? Don't gotta-" But Rick is cut short as the doors to the Maternity wing open and Dr. Cloyd comes out followed by a stern looking woman in scrubs.

"HI Daryl, I'm going to have you come with-" she begins but Maggie cuts in.

"What's going on with Beth?"

" 'S Beth's sister," Daryl explains. "An her daddy, my brother, and my friend-"

"Sheriff Grimes, yes I know him. And it's nice to meet you all. I need to take Daryl back with me but our head nurse, Gail will go over everything with you and she can answer any questions you might have." Now that he's paying attention, Daryl notes the change in Dr. Cloyd's demeanor. She's tense and her smile isn't quite reaching her eyes.

"Ok if you'll jus' come with me, Daryl.."

"Whas' wrong?" He follows behind her, in fact, he has to hurry a little to catch her.

"We'll go over that-" Now she's floundering and Daryl's anxiety isn't just a minor annoyance in the background anymore.

"Cut the crap doc, what's wrong?" He's scared. He could stop right here in the middle of the hallway and demand answers but he needs to see Beth, touch her because something is wrong…

"Let's just get into Beth's room Daryl okay…" And they're already there, already walking through the door to a room full of people. Strangers. More than there had been earlier when they'd first came in.

He sees her first before the others because they're just nameless faceless strangers and he's only looking for her face. The face he loves most in the world.

"Daryl," her voice is small and she's pale and she's been crying, is still crying.

" 'M here, 'm here, 's okay." Someone scoots a chair over so he can sit down beside her and someone else lowers the metal railing so he can lean in and do his best to hold her too.

"They're gonna do a c-section, the baby... They're…" she's frantically trying to explain it to him what they've decided to do while he's been standing in a fucking waiting room counting the seconds and biting on his lip until it bled.

"How about we start from the beginning okay Beth?" Dr. Cloyd's softness is back and she moves in on the other side of the bed and perches on a stool. She starts talking and he's listening, he hears, but he doesn't want to. He wants to un-hear it all and pick Beth up and take her home and come back in two weeks when their baby is supposed to arrive with no complications. Not early, not late and not like this.

Pulmonary embolism. A blood clot. The chest pain, the breathing. There's a blood clot in her left lung and it's putting stress on her heart. They can't determine the where or why all they can do is move forward. Because her heart is working too hard and the baby is beginning to show signs of distress.

Normal delivery could be dangerous. Performing a c-section is the best possible chance for a healthy baby and a healthy mother.

"But we'll also be prepared for any issues that may come up with Beth's heart by doing a cardiopulmonary bypass." Another doctor, a new one chimes in. Cardio… her heart. But she's young and she's healthy and she's alive! She's so alive it hurts sometimes. When she dances around the kitchen in the morning and the sun is coming through the window and he's watching her or she's curled up around him breathing his name in his ear…

"There is always the chance for complications. And that being said we need-" he continues but Dr. Cloyd clears her throat.

He'll never forget the look on her face as she reaches for Beth's hand. Not as long as he lives.

"Let me, please, she's my patient, they're mine." Dr. Cloyd faces them both, takes Beth's hand. "If something does go wrong, if we can't save you both we need to know which life to save. I'm so sorry... But you have-"

He's doing his best to process it all because it's impossible to take those words and apply them to his life, to this girl, his wife, his child… his unborn child... the baby he asked her for and now they're here.

"My baby." He hears her whisper it and the lights in the room seem to dim a little and it has nothing to do with the electricity. A scream rips through him but it's on the inside, silent certainly not a sound that should be let loose because who knows what it could do. What it might do unless he just leaves the room. Yeah, that's what he'll do. He'll go out and catch his breath and wake up and it will all be some fucked up dream.

He can stop this. He can leave.

Pushing back from the bed he stands, and the room tilts for a second before he's moving, mumbling the words he's saying in his head.

"I gotta- I jus' need…" He hits the crash bar on the doors headed out to somewhere, anywhere. He's back in the waiting room with the faces that aren't strangers, they're family and Maggie's crying and Hershel has a hand to his head and Daryl can't look. So he runs, ignores the voices calling his name and when he sees the door with the stairs he figures it's as good as any.

Once he's behind it and it closes he knows he's not going any further, knows he's going to turn around and go back because that is the only option.

Not running. He doesn't get to do that. He doesn't run from her.

She's always in front of him the sun in her hair.

He lost count of how many times he's punched the wall when the first knuckle split and blood stained the wall. He keeps punching until strong arms come from behind him, wrap around him and hold him. There's hot breath on the back of his neck and his name choked out in almost as much pain as he feels.

Another face gets right up in his. Merle.

"Wha' the fuck ya doin' little brother?"

" 'M supposed ta chose- Beth," he struggles to take a breath, "or the baby... She said, she said the baby, but I can't- I fuckin'-" Fighting the arms that are still holding onto him. Rick, it's Rick and he's not letting go.

"Daryl- come on man. You're hurting yourself." There's blood a lot of it and he doesn't care. The door opens again and he's semi-coherent now. Not calm but he's back in his body and he watches as his father-in-law surveys the situation.

"My daughter, your wife needs you- She's upset and scared and you're the only one who can make her strong right now-"

"I ain't strong," his voice is hoarse like he's been screaming. And the last thing he is right now is strong. She is. She's so much stronger than him. He sags in Rick's arms heavy with grief that has yet to be but to his credit, his friend holds him up.

"You're going to have to be because she needs you and you told her you'd come."

_But if I need you-_

_I'll bust these fuckin' doors down if I gotta_

Pushing away from Rick he stares at Hershel wipes his face with his good hand and looks down at the wreck he made of the other one. Rick pulls the red bandana Daryl always carries from his pocket and wraps it around his knuckles for him, ties it covering the worst of the damage.

"Can't run from this Daryl- I know ya don' want that." Merle leans in forehead against Daryl's. "Go on in there and tell her, ya tell her what ya want.." He feels Hershel's hand on his shoulder.

"Come on son, I'm on your side. I'll back you up if you need me too." They know. They all know what he wants to say and even though it's selfish and he feels like a horrible person for thinking it he's gonna tell her.

Because he can't lose her.

**o o o**

He isn't aware of how much time has passed since he left the room. It feels like hours but it's probably only been minutes. They're busy, most of them unhooking monitors and getting ready to move her. Take her somewhere he can't go again. But he has her here now and he finds the chair beside her and he sinks into it ducking his head in shame because he is ashamed.

He's ashamed for running and for what he has to ask her.

"Daryl? You're hurt!"

"I ain't- 'M sorry Beth, I'm so sorry I shouldn' a ran off I just-" Blowing out a breath he looks in her eyes and jumps, "I choose you. If I gotta make a choice I chose you, Beth. Cause I can't live in a world that ya aren't in. I can't raise a baby that ain't got you fer a mama. I can' do it. Please don't ask me to. Please…"

"You want me?" She's not accusing, in fact, she sounds uncertain.

"I wan' ya both, but I already got ya and I don' wanna lose-" He can't explain it in words that don't sound completely fucked up that she's not replaceable. But a baby, he doesn't know this baby, not like he knows her. The echo of a heartbeat is in his head and it rips into a place inside of him he never knew existed. But he does now and it's gonna leave a scar.

He doesn't want this choice, doesn't want to have to choose.

"I thought that you would want… and I wanted to give you…" Cupping her face in his hands he kisses the tears on her cheeks.

He asked her for a baby. Fuck. He's got to be strong. He can be. For her, he can grow wings and fly if that's what she wants.

"I want my family, can't have it if yer not here okay? 'S that okay?" She's nodding and crying but she's smiling.

"I love you, Daryl."

Dr. Cloyd clears her throat and holds out a pile of blue clothing.

"Scrubs. Put them on. I'll get you in as soon as I can. And your sister in law will be ready and waiting to go with baby."

The others are already tucking Beth in and unlocking the brakes on her bed.

"Save 'em both doc can ya jus-'"

"That's been my plan all along Daryl, but she already said she wouldn't take away the love of your life so.."

He kisses Beth one more time and then he's left standing there holding the scrubs and wondering what the hell he's supposed to do when Maggie walks in. She doesn't say anything just hugs him and takes the scrubs and helps him dress.

**o o o**

They're still waiting in the room in labor and delivery thirty minutes later. A nurse had poked her head in a couple of minutes ago and told them to wash up. She was smiling. It was the same nurse that had cleaned up and bandaged his hand.

"Is the baby here? Is my sister okay?" Maggie asked the questions that Daryl wanted answers to but was afraid to hear.

"I don't know the details and I'm not supposed to-" the nurse begins. She glances at Daryl though and he feels sweat roll down his back. "You're going to need a name for your daughter. Your wife said so." Then she left and Maggie cried while she washed her hands and then his with dark brown soap that smelled like hell. She did the best she could and barely got the bandages on his knuckles wet.

Holding his hands out in front of him afraid to touch anything he wishes he could go out and smoke or that someone would come and get them now. They washed. They're ready and Maggie is bouncing on her toes and it's incredibly annoying. Sort of.

"You're naming her? Her! God Daryl, you have a daughter!" Now she's holding his hands.

"Ain't someone supposed ta come an get us? Where they at?" he grunts looking over her shoulder distracting her so he can slide his hands from hers.

"I don't know! But.. really what are you gonna name her?" Daryl was going to wait, save this for him and Beth but Maggie's been here with him and it's her sister and she's scared too.

And they're family. So he'll share.

"Charlie, uh Charlotte Annette Dixon." This shuts Maggie up. She just stands in front of Daryl and for a second he can see it, why Glenn fell in love with her. Her eyes are green, really green but they do that thing Beth's do sometimes- they sparkle and even though you know she's gonna cry it's pretty and it makes you feel things.

"Mama, you're naming her after our mama?" She raises her hand to her face and then thinks better of it. "Charlotte Annette, that's so pretty. It's- Beth's gonna love it." She breathes and Daryl shrugs. "And if it was a boy?"

"Ain't a boy."

"Yeah, but you didn't know... You guys never.."

"I knew." He did and if anyone asks how he won't be able to explain it. He just knew. Not long after he started listening to the baby's heartbeat he noticed that it kept time with Beth's and it sounded like Beth's only smaller.

All of a sudden he feels the weight of the choice he made and the fact that even now he wouldn't change it. It hurts to think about it and maybe he shouldn't because they're both here. His wife and his baby.

The door swings open and another nurse comes in.

"Are you guys ready?" As if she has to ask. They follow her out and down the hallway. "Baby needs to go to the NICU and they're finishing up with mama and will need to monitor her for the next thirty minutes."

"But I can see her?" Daryl asks voice cracking.

"Of course, she's been asking for you. You can see your baby first if you-"

"I need ta see Beth, I jus- I need her." They push through another couple of doors and the last one is labeled surgery and when they get inside it's full of activity. Doctors and nurses and beeping equipment.

And somewhere a baby is crying. Loud and strong. His daughter. It throws him for a minute as Maggie hurries over to a small table lit up by a bright light and he sees a tuft of brown hair on a tiny head as the table is wheeled through another door.

But he's looking for a blonde, his blonde.

He sees her then small and pale but she's smiling cause she's already spotted him. Rushing over to the bed they've got her in he reaches for her and then pulls back a little.

"Can I-"

"Com'ere… please, Daryl." Her permission is all he needs and he's leaning down over her hands on her face.

"Yer okay? Everythin' is good?"

"I am. I- Did you see her?" Daryl shakes his head.

"You?" he asks. She bites her lip and her eyes glisten with tears.

"From far away. I didn't get to hold her... They said..." Swallowing she takes a deep breath. "They had to check my heart and take out the catheters and stitch me up and..." Tears fall from real now and he kisses her slides his hand under her head.

" 'S okay, we're gonna meet her together, me an you…"

He feels a hand on his back and it's Dr. Cloyd.

"Congratulations Daryl," she says smiling.

"Thanks- jus thanks fer…"

"I had some help. This is Dr. Nash our cardiologist. He was on call if needed and, well he wasn't needed which is definitely the best outcome. He's going to talk to you about what he did and what Beth can expect okay? I'm going to go check on that gorgeous little lady who I think might be a singer someday."

"She takes after her mama…" he says blushing.

"Beth said you were naming her, so what should I call her?" Daryl glances over at Beth and she's smiling and waiting and he clears his throat nervous all of a sudden, hoping he got it right. Looking at Beth he says it for the second time out loud and her face- Maggie was right she does love it.

" 'S Charlie… yeah, Charlotte Annette Dixon."

"I love it! Okay, I'm going to check on Charlie." She's gone and Dr. Nash is still there a smile on his face.

"I um, I'll give you a minute," he says glancing over at Beth. Daryl nods without taking his eyes off of his girl.

"Charlotte… Charlie… Charlotte Annette Dixon." Testing it, that's what she's doing. Trying it out. The syllables, the sounds… how it feels to say it all together. Once she's satisfied she smiles and her eyes sparkle and he feels adored.

"Ya like it?"

"It's beautiful Daryl. Tell me why?" Why? Where it came from, what made him choose… Annette was a name they talked about early on. She mentioned it and he remembered and it was decided then.

But the other. Well.

"You was reading a story ta Abbi and Claire, 'bout a pig and a spider…" A spider who was brave and kind and good and Daryl liked her, liked that she and the pig were such unlikely friends. Liked that it meant so much to Abbi and even liked that the ending left her and Beth in tears because it meant that her story mattered, Charlotte mattered.

"Oh." She doesn't have to say anything else. It's all there in that one small word.

Dr. Nash comes back and explains what they did to Beth and how it could affect her later and Daryl listens, they both do but Beth slips her small hand in his and weaves their fingers together holding onto that oh and everything that it means.

**o o o**

The sun is just beginning to rise when Beth's finally moved into her own room. She made him raise the bed because the nurse is on her way to the NICU to check on Charlie and she wanted to be ready. Daryl refused to go with the nurse because leaving Beth behind to wait alone wasn't right. He doesn't think he could walk away from her anyway. And he told her they'd meet their daughter together.

The door opens and a nurse wheels in a bassinet with a little bundle wrapped up inside it. Daryl can see that tuft of brown hair he saw earlier. Maggie pokes her head in and smiles.

"I'm gonna go tell everyone what's going on. We'll come back in a bit." Then she's gone and the door closes and the little bundle moves and squeaks. Daryl's finding it hard to breathe, his heart is pounding and his palms are sweating and he wonders if he should wash them again before...

"She's been waiting to meet you and she's not very patient." The nurse has the bundle in her arms and she's coming towards Daryl and for a split second, he thinks about sitting down on the bed and tucking his hands under his ass because what if he drops her? Or she cries and he can't stop her or-

What if she looks at him like she's doing now? Looks right at him like she knows who he is. He has no choice but to take her. Cradling his tiny girl in his arms he marvels at how incredibly perfect she is. She's the heartbeat he's been listening to for months now.

"Hey, Charlie... yep thas' yer name," he whispers, "an I'm Daryl, I'm yer dad and this is yer mama- this-" Leaning over he lays Charlie in Beth's arms and covers his face with his big clumsy hands. It's too much, all of it. He'd just wanted a baby, a family with Beth.

He's a wreck. Everything inside of him hurts. It's a good hurt, at least he thinks it is and he's confused and maybe it's all finally catching up. Beth's hand brushes his cheek and he shakes his head. He can't look at her, can't look at their baby girl. He'd had to make a choice and if he had to do it again he doesn't think he'd do it any differently and the weight of that is threating to destroy him.

"Daryl, it's alright, it's okay, please come up here with us. All that matters now is this." She's so good to him, so good and she doesn't hold anything against him ever. "We can't do this without you either…"

She also knows exactly what to say to get him to do her bidding.

He wipes his face on the back of his hand, winces when he realizes it's the one he punched a wall with then stretches out on the bed beside Beth, curls himself around her and looks down at Charlie.

"She's the best thing I ever did, 'sides getting you ta fall in love with me," he says softly.

"You taking all the credit Mr. Dixon?" Beth teases.

"Hell no, the hard part, that was all you," he murmurs into her hair as they gaze down at their baby girl.

"So we gonna do it again?" Daryl lets his head fall back against the pillow. Again? Charlie chooses right then to scrunch up her tiny face and let out a little whimper.

"Maybe we better see how we get on with this one first."

Daryl can't do it again, make a choice like that.

"Maybe you're right… I love you Daryl, thank you," she whispers kissing his cheek and his neck and he's whispering back to her how he loves her more than anything and it's just starting to feel really good when Charlie's whimper turns into a full-blown holler.

She's only hours old and she already fits into this family. Interrupting them like her uncle and cousins are always doing. The only difference is she's allowed. At least for a little while.

_~fin_

**A/N This was already half written even before I wrapped up HIAAP. The inspiration comes from an article I read about pulmonary embolism during pregnancy and of course Charlotte's Web! I hope you liked it! Leave a note and let me know! I'd really appreciate it!**


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